UK loses Land Rover Discovery and three-door Evoque

Slow sales and emerging technology bring production changes.

UK loses Land Rover Discovery and three-door Evoque

Land Rover has announced a series of new initiatives aimed at improving sales in its home market.

Land Rover confirmed today that it will move production of its new Discovery SUV from West Midlands in the UK to a new $1.75 billion plant in Nitra, Slovakia built by parent-company Tata Motors.

The maker had previously said only up to 50 per cent of production would leave the site where the iconic Land Rover Discovery has been produced since its inception 30 years ago.

It is expected as many as 1000 jobs might be cut from the 10,000-strong workforce at the British Solihull facility but Tata says it remains ‘committed to the UK’ and will invest in the factory to build future Range Rover models, concentrating on electric vehicle technology.

"The potential losses of some agency employed staff in the UK is a tough one but forms part of our long-term manufacturing strategy as we transform our business globally," said a JLR spokesperson.

Speculation is that the upcoming Jaguar J-Pace SUV might also be produced at the Solihull site.

Range Rover also confirmed it will cease selling its three-door Evoque SUV in the UK ahead of the upcoming 2019 model launch, with just the conventional five-door and convertible to remain in the line-up.

"From the 2019 model year, Land Rover has rationalised its Range Rover Evoque body style offering to concentrate on the five-door model and convertible, which account for the majority of sales", a spokesperson told British outlet Autocar.

The five-door model has accounted for just over 95 per cent of all Evoque buyers, with the convertible also consistently outselling the three-door model in the UK.

A recent reluctance to purchase diesel-powered SUVs also hit Range Rover sales which are down by just over 40 per cent in its home country year-on-year.